Mark 9:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.

NIV: As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

NASB: Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him.

CSB: When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran to greet him.

NLT: When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

KJV: And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

NKJV: Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.

The story of the transfiguration is given in Peter, James, and John's point of view. We aren't told anything that the disciples didn't witness. And, unlike other passages where the disciples are confused about Jesus' teachings, we aren't given insight into Jesus' thinking (Mark 6:6), the situation (Mark 6:52), or even a flash-forward of future events (John 12:32–33) to explain the wider context. As the four come down from the mountain and interact with the crowd, the focus turns again to Jesus.

Before Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain to witness His transfiguration, they had already been surrounded by a crowd (Mark 8:34). Apparently, it grew during their absence. We don't know exactly where they are. Jesus had had one last altercation with the Pharisees in Galilee and left them, abandoning His public ministry in His home region (Mark 8:13). He and the disciples went through Bethsaida (Mark 8:22), on the northern-most coast of the Sea of Galilee, north to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.

We are told that Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a "high mountain" (Mark 9:2). The highest mountain around Caesarea Philippi is Mt. Hermon, which is even farther north. If that's the case, the four must have traveled toward Bethsaida where the Jewish scribes would have been, although Luke says that this happened "on the next day" after the transfiguration (Luke 9:37), so they wouldn't have gone far. Christian tradition says they were at Mt. Tabor, which is southwest of the Sea of Galilee, on the southern edge of Galilee. Another option is Mt. Meron, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee and just a seven-hour hike from Capernaum.

Mark 9:14–29 follows the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John went up a mountain with Jesus and saw a display of His glory as God. They also saw Moses and Elijah and heard God affirm Jesus as His Son. Now the three disciples and Jesus return from the mountain and find the remaining disciples arguing with Jewish scribes. The disciples have tried to expel a dangerous demon from a young boy but have been unable despite having performed exorcisms before (Mark 6:7–13). Jesus explains that to do God's work, we need faith in Him and to be empowered by Him. This section is parallel to Matthew 17:14–20 and Luke 9:37–43.

Mark chapter 9 contains an account of Jesus' transfiguration, where three of the disciples witness Him in a glorified form. In this passage, Jesus also heals a demon-possessed boy. His teachings in this section include a prediction of His death and resurrection, and corrections to the disciples' errors on questions of pride and temptation.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.